Stylist, salon owner battles back from multiple sclerosis

Success in the business world is not always measured in dollars and cents. Sometimes, success is the result of self-determination, inspiration — and just plain luck. Look at Barbi Costanza, 40, as an example.

Costanza is a professional hair stylist and owner of Inspirations Hair Color and Design, a relatively new hair salon at the Signature Salon Studios, 3936 E. Chandler Blvd. at the Chandler-Ahwatukee Foothills border.

The mother of three is recovering from multiple sclerosis.

In 1998, she suddenly was afflicted with MS while operating a successful beauty salon in her home town of Kalamazoo, Mich. The disease forced her to close her business, withdraw from the daily work — and, to a degree, society — and endure the debilitating affects of MS on her nervous system.

She also filed for bankruptcy.

The Costanza family, including her children and husband, Joseph, an operations agent for Southwest Airlines, moved to the Valley in 2003.

“I started getting a tingling and numbness in my hands,” Costanza recalled. “I couldn’t even hold a pair of scissors. Then, one day I woke up and was totally blind in my right eye.”

She endured the ups and downs of MS — and unemployment — until the birth of her son, Dominic, two years ago.

“When Dominic was born, my symptoms — except my blind eye — seemed to disappear,” said Costanza. “I learned how to hold scissors and I could write again. So, I decided it was time to get back to work.”

Costanza began her economic and physical recovery slowly at first. She leased a relatively small studio at the Signature Salon Studios in Ahwatukee Foothills and began working a few days a week with less than a dozen customers.

Today, her clientele is still small, but — like her determination — its steadily growing.

“Working in a beauty salon is something I wanted to do all my life, ever since I was a little girl combing my older sister’s hair,” said Costanza. “It’s my life ... in every sense of the word.”

Her MS symptoms are nearly gone and her creative — and business life — is nearly back to normal, she said.

Costanza’s shop is one of several in the Signature Salon Studios and is equipped with the latest beauty tools.

“My favorite is hair coloring,” said Costanza. “It’s a skill I learned at Kalamazoo Beauty Academy while attending high school and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Hair coloring trends, especially in warmer climates like the Valley and the southwest, lean toward light colors, particularly blond tints, she said.

“Another trend is dimensional hair coloring, or smooth layers of light, straight hair.”

Costanza doesn’t plan to open many more studios soon, however.

“I’m focusing on expanding my clientele gradually but steadily,” she said, a business method that proved successful until she was struck by MS.

Meanwhile, her MS symptoms have virtually disappeared except for her right eye. Her doctor said she is virtually clear of signs of MS. She has also stopped taking medication.

Why did she named her new studio “Inspirations Hair Color and Design?”

“Because my life has been an inspiration for me and, I hope, for others with MS,” Costanza answered.

“I feel like I’m being given a second chance to do what I love.”

Barbi Costanza

Age: 40

Home: Recently moved from Ahwatukee Foothills to Maricopa

Family: Husband, Joseph; children, Logan, 15, McKenzie, 13 and Dominic, 2

Company: Inspirations Hair Color and Design, 3936 E. Chandler Blvd., Ahwatukee Foothills

Key Achievements: Until her sudden affliction with multiple sclerosis, Barbi Costanza owned and operated a successful beauty salon in Kalamazoo, Mich. MS virtually ended her career — and nearly her life — until her family moved to the Valley and her health began improving. Today, she again operates a salon that is gradually growing. Her health — like her business — is steadily improving, too.

Philosophy for success: “Do in life what you love to do and stick with it.” — Barbi Costanza

Latest trends

• More women are getting their hair colored than ever before

• The latest trend in coloring is ‘dimensional hair coloring,’ or a blending of light and dark color

• The trend among Valley women is toward blond or lighter hair

• The finished look for haircuts is a smooth, straight cut

Source: Inspirations Hair Color and Design

What is MS?

• MS is short for multiple sclerosis, believed to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. The most common form of MS is referred to as “relapsingremitting,” because sufferers will experience episodes of worsening of symptoms, followed by complete or partial recovery from disease progression.

• It is unclear what the exact cause of MS is, and most researchers believe it results from an abnormal response by the body’s immune system triggered by a number of factors, including environmental stimuli and certain viruses.

Source: National MS Society

Information: (480) 278-2167 or www.nationalmssociety.org